Sir

The Commander in Chief having by yesterday's post informed you of my Arrival here, with this His Majests Ship under my Command, and her Acting 2d Lieutenant Mr Stone, being (with his Consent) on the road with my farther Dispatches; I beg you to move My Lords Commissioners, to indulge me with leave of Absence for nine or ten Days, my private Affairs requiring my presence in London — In the mean time; and with regret; I find myself under the necessity of desiring, that you may be pleased to observe to the right honorable board, that with Amazement I have read in a Newspaper, the Copy of a letter from Captain [Thomas] Pringle of the Lord Howe (Armed Ship) late Senior Sea Officer on Lake Champlain, by me detached; dated at Crown Point October 16th whereby without either the license or knowledge of me his Commanding Officer, And by my Messenger too Lieutenant Dacres, he has presumed to trouble their Lordships with his Account of the late Actions with the Rebel Vessels.

As I conceive so ridiculous a Step, to be a breach of discipline so very enormous, as to be hitherto unprecedented in the Naval Annals of Great Britain; I farther request: that My Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty may in due time be pleased to Order such public Cognizance thereof, to be taken, as the matter may deserve — which I confess leads me to suspect there having been some mystery, in the Lieutenants Schank, Butler & Starke, not having had sufficient time given them, for Writing to their Friends, after battle, previous to the Departure of Mr Dacres from Crown Point. I am Sir [&c.]

P. S. From the Silence of Lieutenant Dacres on that head, on my sending him home; I presume he knew not what sort of matter Mr Pringle had made him the Bearer of.²